Happy Holidays!

Wow. It's already Christmas time! Where has the year gone!?

This year has been difficult to get into the spirit of things. SO many of my people are going through hard times and that makes celebrating a little more difficult. With family members having been lost, jobs lost, etc, well, it doesn't put the jolly in fun.

BUT.

That's the part that makes Christmas such a special time of year. It's not about presents or parties. It's about the people youlove. It's about tradition and remembering. That's what I love the most about Christmas. It's that time of year you can pop in and visit an old friend after years and they welcome you with open arms, it's seeing the Christmas decorations on the eaves of houses and the tacky blow up Santas on the lawns. It's seeing your kid's eyes light up and the smiles on their faces. It's cookies and ham and turkey and most of all, it's love.

All I want for Christmas this year is for all my friends and family to smile, laugh, sing, cook, and enjoy each other. We're not guaranteed tomorrow. Make it a memory. Make it the best day ever. Be happy. Love.

To every one of my friends and readers alike, happy holidays, however you spend it!

So here we are at the end of another year. Where the hell did it go? It's been a long one, full of tons of peaks and valleys, and in the middle somewhere, I was able to read some pretty amazing books.

Sadly, I didn't have as much time as I usually find to read. This is a very sad state of affairs in my world. Reading has always been an escape for me, the safe cushie landing spot to hide away from all the stress, busy, and ugly life flings at me. With day job getting in the way, family up my ass, books to write, books to publish, books to market, books to recover from, I barely have time to groom myself. *note* I have not shaved my legs for two months--and I work for a company that manufactures WAX to do just this thing.

See what I'm sayin...

So, I gathered up in my head the most memorable moments I had with books this year. When I checked out my progress on my Goodreads goal... well, let's just say I am failing badly. But, the great part is, out of the sixty or so books I read, I can easily spout off my very favorites, and that's all that matters, right?

So, in no particular order, here are a few of my favorite things...

So yeah... This whole series is like a wet dream.I fell in love with the Reaper's Motorcycle Club when I was introduced to Horse in Reaper's Property several years ago.

Holy Hell Horse.

But there were others, the brothers, and well, I crushed on a few while reading that book, so I waited oh so not patiently for this book to come out, so I could get on some Ruger.

Dude, this book did not let me down.

There were three in this series this year, and while they are equally well written and pack a serious punch in the rub one out department, Ruger and Sophie were something pretty special. He is for sure on my top book boyfriends list.

*SWOON*

It feels like I waited FOREVER for this damn book. In fact, it seems like FOREVER for each book to get to my hot little hands. Why? Because I need Jamie Fraser like I need fucking air.

I fell in love with these books back in 2000, when a co-worker of mine gave me a copy of Outlander. We sat across from each other, and were both avid readers. She noticed I was reading historical romance, and thrust that book at me with wide wild eyes and said, "READ."

She'd been a fan since the very beginning and the joy in her face when I talked to her about the story while reading was magic. She wasn't always very friendly, to me and pretty much everyone else, but, she knew good books and hot boys, and holy hell my obsession is so all her fault.

I will love her sour puss forever.

So was this book worth the wait? You bet it was. Am I already pissing my pants for the next? Hell yes I am. Whatever in the world Herself Diana Gabaldon does, that bitch better keep Jamie coming as long as she is on this planet. I will never, ever, have enough of this saga.

So yeah, this series is fucking awesome. I'm still not all the way caught up--which is making me itch--but it also gives me something to look forward to.

I was introduced to Tess Oliver at an author signing, and aside of being such a lovely woman, she is also an extremely kick-ass writer. She graciously gave me a copy of her book Freefall, and I devoured it and loved it. She'd mentioned she was working on a biker serial series, and anyone that knows me, knows I was all over that shit.

Me+Bikers = Yes more please.

Since ditching my real life biker this year, I obviously needed to fill that gap, you feel me?

This series is remarkable. Fan-fucking-tastic.

Luke, "Reno" is hotter than hell as the Hero in this novel, and Angel, the Heroine, gah... I just fell in love with her as well. They have major shit to deal with, and through it all, they fall in love in the most amazingly beautiful story I've ever read.

These books have it all. Danger. Sexy. Love. Grab them up. OH, and dude... now she's writing companion novels--The Barringer Brothers... shut the eff up. I have so much reading to do. LEAVE ME ALONE!

*Honorable mention goes to the Kustom Culture books as well. I've only finished the first two, but dayum. Tess writes some pretty hot boys y'all.

There will never NOT be a Jaci Burton book on my favorite list. Never, ever, ever.

She's pretty much the goddess incarnate in my eyeballs. I devour her words. She writes a hell of a story and her men... dude. Melty panties ... check please!

The Play by Play series is my favorite of all her series, and I get all jumpy jump when a new one is introduced. There were two this year, but this one, Lawdy lawdy. Football is my shit anyway, so hot football players just make me quiver in all the right places, know what I'm sayin'?

AND the best part? Not only is our hero a football player, BUT he plays baseball as well. yeah...

So although this isn't my favorite in the series (oh, how I miss those Riley boys) this was a great read.

This gem... wow. I hadn't read any historical in a while, and while it's my favorite genre to tell the truth, I just had been in a pretty big funk as far as finding something new and unique in the genre to read.

This kicked my funk's ass.

Guy of Helston was just ... unf. I love these heroes, the ones who don't treat the insolent heroines with kid gloves. That "get over it bitch, this is the way it's gonna be" attitude is exactly what I love about great historicals and Guy did not disappoint. He was strong and determined and once he figured out he was falling in love with Helena, well, I fell even harder for him.

Sarah has another book out this year, Sweet Bea, which is going to be on my TBR marathon post next week. I love this lady like, whoa... and I really, really love that she writes such awesome books!

Tessa Bailey is another one of my go-to authors. She writes some of the very best dirty talking mofos I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Thankyouverymuch

Sometimes you just need a book like this, quick and dirty and fun. Brain wash, I call them.

This is part of a series written by several other writers, but this one... holy hell. This is one hot dirty boy, and the chemistry was off the charts awesomeness.

This is for sure a book I will re-read again and again. If you're looking for a fix of filth, join me in worshiping every naughty syllable that falls from Reed Lawson's perfect mouth.

I was in the mood for a dark, mind-fucky kind of book and a friend of mine, a trusted rec'r, told me to read this book.

So I did.

Definite mind fuck.

At first, I wasn't sure I was into it. It all seemed pretty far-fetched, bizarre, in fact. I put in on DNF status like... fourteen times. I mean, hello... my reading time is like, you know!

But when I put it down, I found myself thinking about it and wondering wtf was going on. That drew me back to the book and I'm glad I finished it. And moved on to the next.

The story is unique and as I said, far-fetched, but that's what makes fiction so fun. This is fantasy, this is why we read.

So yeah, it's weird and dark and fucked up, and you really, really don't want to be into Jethro, but then you're like, damn tho... he's sort of mysterious crazy guy hot, and maybe he'll come around, and maybe he won't, but I need to know what the hell is going to happen and if I need meds because damn, do the dirty Jethro. Do. The. Dirtaayy.

So if you like trippy, psycho boyfriend kidnappers, then grab this one. Don't blame me.

This is top o' the list awesome. I haven't read paranormal in a long time, but this book threw me right back into the genre that I love.

After overdosing on Vampires... you know how it goes.

I am a life-long witch and witchcraft fanatic. This book weaved so many wonderful things about witches--the folklore, the magic, the history... it was just wonderful without being cliche or neurotic. It was just interesting and yanked my attention right way.

Didn't hurt that the hero is just this swoony moody bastard with a past. You know?

I've gobbled up every word J.R. Richardson has written for years, so this was on my "read right the fuck now" as soon as it came out. This woman writes the male POV with a realism you seldom find in romance. The grit and edge is just... pure. No force, no sappy weird shit. Man stuff... she does it right.So I dare you not to fall for Cooper. Dare. You. You'll do it, fall for him, and then you'll thank me and then you'll sit on her porch and beg her to write more. I have no shame. I will beg and beg for more of her words.